Evaluation of the Quality of Preschool Education: A Comparative Analysis of Practices in the Republic of Uzbekistan and Internationally

This study provides a comparative analysis of international and Uzbekistani practices in assessing the quality of preschool education at the organizational level. Various concepts and perspectives on evaluating the quality of early childhood education are examined. It is demonstrated that the category of quality varies depending on 1) the goals of preschool education as defined at the national education system level and local levels; 2) the positions of different stakeholders involved in the preschool education system; and 3) the different levels at which preschool education programs are implemented in the country. The most common and popular assessment tools for 1) the developmental conditions of children in preschool educational organizations and 2) the educational outcomes of children (developmental progress) were analyzed. It was shown that there are two groups of preschool education objectives that define the educational process as either developmental or system-oriented. The latest experience in evaluating the quality of preschool education in the Republic of Uzbekistan was analyzed. The main focus of the analysis was on the quality assessment model, developed and tested from 2011 to 2013. It was shown that this model generally does not meet the requirements of contemporary Uzbekistani legislation and relies mainly on formal characteristics, necessitating significant modifications.

  Keywords: Preschool Education, Quality Assessment, Comparative Analysis, Educational Outcomes, Developmental Conditions, Uzbekistan.